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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · rule · vault · mark · dip · mug · pit · bass

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mug — a cup
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mug — a face
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mug — to rob
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rule — a law
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bass — low music
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com